


rib cages were made for butterflies

by sandyk



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Peter Parker, Everyone Thinks They're Together, F/M, High School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:40:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29575491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandyk/pseuds/sandyk
Summary: MJ finds it really annoying that everyone thinks she and Peter are dating. Because they're not. (She does sort of want them to. Be dating.)
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Comments: 14
Kudos: 56
Collections: Trope Bingo: Round Sixteen





	rib cages were made for butterflies

**Author's Note:**

> For the trope bingo spot "everyone thinks we're a couple." Thanks A! Title from the Rayana Jay song Swoon.

First everyone thought MJ was obsessed with Peter because she had a crush on him. Then everyone thought they were going out because she and Peter and Ned were becoming friends. Maybe even good friends. 

Sometimes she even worried, like, were people not moving on Peter because they thought he had a girlfriend? 

Peter plopped down next to her in the cafeteria. She didn't mind, he was a friend. He could have just sat across from her, though, so people didn't get the wrong idea. He said, "So we're invited to this party slash hang out that Betty's having."

"We, like, you and me and Ned?" She leaned a little away from him. 

"No," Peter said. "Ned got his own invitation. I think maybe Betty likes him?"

MJ rolled her eyes. "Why didn't people ever assume you and Ned were dating? This world is too heterocentric."

Peter shrugged. "Some people did? But in a bullying way. Like I'd be embarrassed about dating Ned." He sounded surprised. Peter was a good egg.

"Plus, you know, let's not discount fatphobia and racism," MJ said.

Peter frowned. "Ned's hot."

"You're right, but most of these assholes are assholes." MJ sighed. "So I'm conventionally attractive enough to be your girlfriend."

Peter shrugged again. He ate all the food on his plate and picked up MJ's apple. After she nodded, he started chewing on that. Then he said, "So do you want to go to the party slash hang out? I think it involves lawn bowling? I don't know. It would be fun, maybe."

"Maybe just you should go. I'm not your girlfriend," MJ said.

"I know," he said. He sounded very emphatic. "Look, if you show up or don't. People will still think that. Show up and it'll be fun."

"You think bowling of any kind is fun?"

"I do," Peter said. He laughed. "You should eat your lunch. You need food to get taller."

"You ate all of that, you haven't grown a centimeter," MJ said. She thought about smiling. 

"I have my fingers crossed," Peter said. "Keep hope alive!"

She went and, of course, Peter didn't. She spent a half hour trying not to care. She was actually good at throwing the stupid ball across the lawn. Ned and Betty were nice to her, when they weren't talking to each other. Cindy and Abe were being cool, too. It wasn't like MJ didn't have some friends. 

Peter finally showed up, forty five minutes late. He looked winded and his hair was stupid. More than usual. He quickly apologized to Betty and then rushed over to MJ. He said, "Sorry, sorry, MJ, I'm sorry I'm late."

Probably because he was Spider-man, she thought. She said, "It's fine. It's cool."

Peter was bad at bowling. First he threw too hard, then he threw too soft. He didn't care, though, which was cute. Cool. It wasn't cute. The way he cheered for everyone was probably cute. He sat down next to MJ after each round he played. She liked that he was being nice to her. He was probably making space for Ned and Betty to flirt. MJ had more friends than Peter. Peter had to choose between Ned or MJ. That was weird, MJ having more friends than someone. 

But she wasn't Spider-man which made making friends easier. 

After the bowling they all got bubble tea at one of the little stands and walked around the park, everyone breaking out into pairs or threesomes. "It's not a threesome," Peter said, laughing. "It's three people hanging out with bubble tea."

They were walking together like a couple. She almost touched his hand so she shoved her free hand in her pocket. "I guess a threesome would be public indecency. They could be arrested. Betty would be upset. If she noticed." Betty was clearly paying attention only to Ned. It was sweet. 

Peter said, "Why do you get upset when people think we're dating?" His tone sounded interested, but MJ would bet he'd been waiting a while to say that.

"I'm not upset," MJ said. "I worry about, like, what if people want to hit on you or go out with you? And then they don't. And you miss out."

Peter laughed and shook his head. "Okay, but Justin asked me out on a date and we hung out for, like, three weeks last year. I mean, back in May, last academic year. Weird way for me to put it. Anyway, we were friends then, you and me. But I got all the way to second base before he headed off to his internship."

"Who says second base? What is second base? How old are you? No one says that." MJ looked over at him as they walked along the path. They were going slower than the rest of the party people. "Wait, Justin? The one who looked like he was in Nu'est W? He looked so much like that one guy - didn't someone actually ask for his autograph once?"

"Yeah, and one time when we were out at dinner," Peter said. "He's really pretty. Also, second base is exactly how May described it."

"What does that even mean? He kissed you twice?"

Peter laughed again. "No, that's not second base. And in the summer, there was this super cute girl Tiana who was a barista near Stark Tower. She asked me out, too. Also second base, by the way."

"Second base, third base? Infield fly? You seriously think of this as specific acts." MJ finished her bubble tea and shoved it down in the trash can. "Wait, Tiana, like the disney movie?" 

"Yeah, but she wasn't named after the movie," Peter said.

"You didn't really mention any of this to me, why not?"

"You know," Peter said. He was looking away from her. "I, um, realized when I was dating Tiana."

"Realized what," MJ said. She reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Do you have a concussion?"

"What?" Peter frowned. "No, no, I didn't get hit on the head. Why would you think that?"

MJ decided not to give him the truth, not today. She said, "Okay, but nobody's tried to date you since September." 

Peter smiled at her. "I like you, MJ. I wish they were right, you know."

"Wow, that was awkward," MJ said. She looked him in the eye. "Me, too. I wish they were right. We can just do that."

Peter leaned in and kissed her, just a quick press against her lips. She licked her lips and stared at him. "I thought you got to second base. That felt more like hit by pitch." 

Peter smiled and leaned in again. It was a much much better kiss.


End file.
